Chapter Summaries

• Key events: Duan Xing learns that Duan Sheng was adopted by a Chinese couple after becoming ill in hospital. The boy mistakenly believed they were his parents when he woke from his fever, and their genuine care led them to adopt him. The adoption was approved and they have already taken him abroad. Because Duan Xing concealed the boy’s identity and kept no photographs, he has no practical or legal way to reclaim him.
• Character developments: Duan Xing is devastated, but his distress is framed as possessiveness over something he considered his, rather than concern for Sheng’s wellbeing. The institute employee, who had cared for Sheng during his illness, openly rejects Duan Xing’s attempt to blame him and condemns the parents’ neglect. Qiao Yun arrives expecting to take Sheng home, unaware that he is gone; her mixed feelings reveal that she cares more about the boy’s effect on inheritance and status than about his welfare.
• Character interactions: Xie Zhiyu denies using a child and ends the call, while Duan Xing accepts his word and suspects other rivals. At the institute, Duan Xing confronts the employee, who recounts how he repeatedly tried to reach Sheng’s parents and received little response. Qiao Yun’s arrival and repeated question about Sheng intensify Duan Xing’s frustration.
• Themes: The chapter contrasts biological parenthood with real care: strangers who nurture Sheng become his family, while his biological parents neglect him. It also highlights the harm adults inflict on children through selfishness, deception, and treating them as possessions.

Key events

• Qiao Yun returns after winning millions at a casino, feeling newly confident and ready to go out again.
• Duan Xing, frustrated and angry, strikes her twice. She fights back, scratching his face and accusing him of using and discarding her after all she sacrificed for him.
• Qiao Yun assumes Duan Xing wants to leave her for Xie Liuzheng, but he reveals that he and Xie are already divorced.
• Her immediate concern becomes whether their son, Xiao Sheng, received a share of the divorce settlement. Duan Xing questions whether she cares about the boy at all.
• Duan Xing tells her Xiao Sheng had a high fever, lost his memory, and was adopted overseas. A Welfare Institute employee confirms the news and says Xiao Sheng believes his adoptive parents are his birth parents.
• Qiao Yun refuses to accept it, accuses Duan Xing and the employee of conspiring to deceive her, and grabs Duan Xing by the collar.

Character developments

• Qiao Yun is emboldened by her gambling winnings and openly resists Duan Xing’s control. Yet her concern for Xiao Sheng appears entangled with fear of losing money and status, prompting Duan Xing to question her maternal care. The adoption news leaves her distraught and in denial.
• Duan Xing is shown as volatile and physically abusive, striking Qiao Yun amid his own frustrations. He is furious at her fixation on money and her apparent lack of concern for their son.
• The Welfare Institute employee confirms the adoption bluntly, deepening Qiao Yun’s shock.

Themes

• Abuse and power: Duan Xing’s violence clashes with Qiao Yun’s attempt to reclaim agency through resistance.
• Self-interest and betrayal: Qiao Yun sees their relationship through sacrifice, money, and the fear of being discarded.
• Motherhood and attachment: Her claims of devotion are undercut by her focus on Xiao Sheng’s inheritance.
• Loss and denial: Xiao Sheng’s adoption and memory loss sever his connection with Qiao Yun, who cannot accept the truth.

Character interactions

Qiao Yun and Duan Xing’s argument escalates from insults to physical violence, exposing their resentment and mistrust. Their conflict shifts from jealousy over Xie Liuzheng to Xiao Sheng’s fate, while the employee’s confirmation leaves Qiao Yun confronting a loss she refuses to believe.

Key plot points and events

• Qiao Yun demands that Duan Xing admit he lied about Little Sheng forgetting her. Duan Xing, intent on reaching the director, tries to leave, but Qiao Yun grabs him.
• Qiao Yun knocks Duan Xing down and accidentally strikes his groin. While trying to get off him, she falls on him again, worsening the injury and causing him to faint.
• At the hospital, doctors say Duan Xing’s reproductive organs are seriously damaged, leaving him with only a five-percent chance of recovery. Qiao Yun panics and fears she may go to jail.
• Qiao Yun loudly repeats the doctor’s diagnosis, attracting curious patients. Duan Xing’s parents arrive, accuse her of spreading rumors, and attack her. Qiao Yun fights back, insisting the doctor—not she—said it. Duan Xing finally orders everyone to stop.

Character developments and interactions

• Qiao Yun is distraught over Little Sheng but quickly becomes combative when Duan Xing tries to leave. After injuring him, she shifts between panic, guilt, and defensiveness; her blunt outbursts turn a private medical crisis into public humiliation.
• Duan Xing moves from angry urgency to agonizing injury and dread as he learns the extent of the damage. His humiliation grows when Qiao Yun announces the diagnosis to the corridor, and he tries to regain control by telling everyone to stop.
• The Welfare Institute employee witnesses the accident, warns Qiao Yun to get up, and calls for an ambulance.
• Duan Xing’s parents defend their son’s reputation and family line by attacking Qiao Yun. She resists and redirects blame to the doctor’s diagnosis.

Significant themes

• Escalating misunderstanding: Qiao Yun and Duan Xing interpret each other’s actions through their own assumptions, turning an argument into a serious accident.
• Unintended consequences and accountability: Qiao Yun does not mean to injure Duan Xing, but her actions have grave consequences.
• Public shame and family honor: The hospital diagnosis becomes gossip, while Duan Xing’s parents react as much to the perceived threat to their family line as to his injury.
• Comic farce amid distress: The chapter treats a painful medical emergency through chaotic reactions, blunt dialogue, and escalating slapstick.

Key plot points and events

• At the hospital, Duan Xing’s family quarrels with Qiao Yun in front of a growing crowd. Onlookers condemn Duan Xing as a cheating husband and identify him as the principal of a local training school, damaging his public image.
• Duan Xing’s parents attack Qiao Yun. Initially held back by guilt, she fights back fiercely, and the struggle ends with all three falling onto the still-anesthetized Duan Xing. The doctor worries that Duan Xing’s already slim chance of recovery has worsened.
• At the Xie Residence, Xie Liuzheng plays piano for Shen Wan and Shen Baili, who are captivated by her performance. She invites them to learn, simplifies the lesson to “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” and Shen Baili eagerly begins to play.

Character developments and interactions

• Qiao Yun shifts from guilt and restraint to furious self-defense when Duan Xing’s parents beat her.
• Duan Xing is left helpless as his parents and Qiao Yun fight around him; the crowd’s accusations also expose the gap between his respectable public persona and his private conduct.
• Xie Liuzheng’s reserved elegance warms into an enthusiastic, encouraging manner as she teaches Shen Wan and Shen Baili.
• Shen Wan and Shen Baili bond over their shared admiration for Xie Liuzheng and accept her offer to teach them piano.

Significant themes

• Public judgment and hypocrisy: The hospital crowd quickly condemns Duan Xing after learning of his alleged affair and respectable professional role.
• Consequence and vulnerability: Duan Xing’s injury leaves him powerless amid the conflict, while the doctor fears for his recovery.
• Music and connection: Xie Liuzheng’s performance creates a shared emotional experience, then becomes a welcoming opportunity for the three women to connect.

• After a piano lesson, Shen Baili and her mother, Shen Wan, share a gentle moment at the piano, singing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” Xie Liuzheng keeps time and encourages Baili; Xie Chengyue hears them from the courtyard and is warmed by the scene.
• Baili receives a newly unlocked chapter and realizes the system gained energy after Xie Liuzheng divorced Duan Xing. She compares the chapter with her memories of the original story and sees how the events have changed.
• In the original timeline, Liuzheng never discovered Duan Xing’s affair. She adopted Xiao Sheng—actually Duan Xing’s illegitimate son, Duan Muzheng—and raised him lovingly. After a nanny’s negligence caused a high fever, Muzheng lost his memory and believed Liuzheng and Duan Xing were his biological parents. The family lived happily for a time.
• Liuzheng later injured her hand protecting Muzheng in a car accident, ending her performing career. Though heartbroken, she rebuilt her life as a piano teacher and vice principal at Duan Xing’s arts center, helping it prosper as his business expanded.
• As the Xie family weakened, Duan Xing and his accomplice Qiao Yun revealed their betrayal. Duan Xing had shifted the business assets while using Liuzheng’s dowry to build his fortune. He then used her family to keep her trapped, humiliating her and flaunting his affairs.
• The chapter ends with Liuzheng outwardly enduring the situation to protect her family, but inwardly resolved to destroy herself and take her tormentors down with her.
  Character developments and interactions: Baili feels joy and confidence through music, while Shen Wan and Xie Liuzheng share a tender, supportive moment with her; Xie Chengyue responds with quiet affection. Baili’s reaction to the newly revealed timeline is disgust and alarm. The original-story account shows Liuzheng’s devotion as a mother, resilience after losing her ability to perform, and eventual despair under Duan Xing’s cruelty. Themes include the healing and connecting power of music, parental love, betrayal, misplaced trust, and the devastating cost of coercive control.

Chapter 27 Summary

• Xie Liuzheng’s tragic future: Shen Baili reads another unlocked chapter, which reveals Xie Liuzheng’s failed attempt at revenge. After learning that Duan Xing helped ruin her family, she tries to run him and Qiao Yun down. When she sees Duan Sheng in their path, she swerves to avoid him and crashes, leaving her legs so badly injured they must be amputated. Abandoned in a care facility, she loses the will to live and rejects Duan Muzheng’s visits—until he tells her that her missing relative, Xie Zhiyu, has been found and is being treated in hospital.
• Shen Baili’s response: Horrified and furious at Duan Xing’s betrayal and the suffering imposed on Xie Liuzheng, Shen Baili vows that he should lose everything and suffer far more than she did. Once calmer, she worries that the Xie family may face additional dangers, including a possible incident involving Xie Zhiyu at the Meng Family banquet. She also learns that Xie Chengyue and Xie Tingsi may have died, but the system offers no explanation.
• Family comfort and plans: Shen Wan notices Shen Baili’s distress and mistakes her troubled expression for difficulty with schoolwork. Shen Baili hugs her mother, finding comfort in her warmth, and agrees to have Shen Wan sleep beside her. Shen Wan also tells her that a stylist will come the next morning so they can choose gowns for the Meng Family banquet.
• New developments: The next morning, Assistant Li arrives at the Xie Residence with shocking news. The chapter then explains that the Xie family has closely followed Duan Xing’s affair and divorce, supporting Xie Liuzheng without taking control of her choices. As they investigate, they uncover numerous problems in Duan Xing’s past: the security and prosperity he gained through marrying into the Xie family fed his ambition and greed.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Shen Baili moves from shock and anger to concern about the wider threat facing the Xie family. She seeks—and accepts—comfort from Shen Wan.
• Shen Wan responds sensitively to her daughter’s unease, offering reassurance and closeness.
• Xie Liuzheng, despite being devastated and physically injured, ultimately has a reason to keep living when she hears Xie Zhiyu may have survived.
• Duan Muzheng quietly endures Xie Liuzheng’s rejection and brings her the news that rekindles her hope.
• The Xie family protects and supports Xie Liuzheng while respecting her agency, and pursues Duan Xing through investigation rather than impulsive retaliation.
• Duan Xing and Qiao Yun reveal their selfishness during Xie Liuzheng’s attempted attack, each trying to use another person as a shield.

Significant Themes

• Betrayal and injustice: Duan Xing’s exploitation of Xie Liuzheng’s love and the Xie family’s trust drives the chapter’s tragedy.
• Self-sacrifice and compassion: Xie Liuzheng’s choice to avoid hitting Duan Sheng saves him but costs her dearly.
• Family loyalty and support: The Xie family stands by Xie Liuzheng without overriding her decisions; Shen Wan provides Shen Baili with emotional safety.
• Fate and forewarning: Shen Baili’s knowledge of the story’s possible future makes her fear that further tragedies may be waiting at the banquet.

Chapter 67 Summary

• Assistant Li updates the Xie family on Duan Xing. The Arts Training Center was used for risky, shady transactions. Authorities have seized the center and frozen Duan’s assets, and police are investigating him. Because he recently underwent reconstructive surgery after Qiao Yun injured his reproductive organs, he has not yet been taken into custody.
• Xie Liuzheng reacts with relief and dark amusement. She is startled by the news, then privately takes satisfaction in Duan Xing’s suffering. Though she still feels the sting of their recent divorce, she is determined not to let hatred dominate her life. She believes her family, piano, and future will help her move on.
• Duan Sheng’s fate is clarified. After falling ill and losing his memory, Duan Xing’s illegitimate son was adopted by a childless Chinese couple living overseas. They treat him as their own, but have since moved to another country. Xie Liuzheng distinguishes the child from the adults responsible for his circumstances and does not blame him.
• Duan Xing’s troubles worsen. Qiao Yun takes the remaining money and disappears. With the family unable to afford the VIP ward, Duan Xing’s parents move him to a regular room, where his mother complains loudly and draws other patients’ attention.

Character Developments and Interactions

Xie Liuzheng shows growing resolve: she acknowledges that healing takes time but focuses on the life ahead rather than revenge. Shen Wan’s quiet concern, Xie Zhiyu’s care when Liuzheng coughs, and the family’s restrained reactions create a supportive atmosphere. The family also shares private amusement at Duan Xing’s downfall, while Liuzheng remains measured about Duan Sheng.

Significant Themes

• Recovery and moving forward: Pain remains after the divorce, but Liuzheng chooses not to build her future around resentment.
• Consequences of wrongdoing: Duan Xing faces legal, financial, and personal ruin.
• Separating children from adults’ guilt: Liuzheng refuses to make an innocent child bear blame for his parents’ actions.
• Family support: Concern and solidarity help Liuzheng face painful news.

Plot points and events

• Duan Xing, now impoverished and disgraced, lashes out at his mother and the hospital onlookers when they mock his condition and his failed marriage.
• Duan Mother blames Qiao Yun for abandoning him and decides Xie Liuzheng might take him back, reasoning that they are both unable to have children. Duan Father agrees, while Duan Xing silently listens.
• After Duan Xing is discharged, neighbors mock him and his family, spreading rumors about his virility and finances. Duan Mother drives them away and insists he can still have children.
• Duan Xing demands to see Xie Liuzheng. His mother says she cannot find her, so he hints that he has a plan.
• Before he can act on it, Duan Xing takes a supposed “miracle virility drug” obtained by his father. He becomes seriously ill and is rushed back to hospital for a stomach pumping. Gossip about the incident spreads through the neighborhood and reaches local television news.

Character developments

• Duan Xing is physically weakened and emotionally embittered, but remains fixated on reconnecting with Xie Liuzheng and clings to the hope of recovering his virility.
• Duan Mother alternates between defending her son and blaming others, while treating reconciliation as a way to restore the family’s fortunes and status.
• Duan Father is anxious about the family’s dwindling savings and goes along with his wife’s reasoning; his search for a cure leads to Duan Xing’s hospitalization.

Character interactions

• Duan Xing’s anger erupts against his mother and the curious bystanders, who openly ridicule him.
• His parents discuss his prospects and the possibility of reuniting him with Xie Liuzheng while he listens in silence.
• Neighbors taunt the family after his discharge; Duan Mother confronts them, then comforts her son.
• Duan Xing presses his mother for help finding Xie Liuzheng, but she says she has lost contact with her.

Significant themes

• Public humiliation and gossip: Private misfortune becomes community spectacle and eventually news.
• Pride, status, and decline: The family struggles to accept the loss of wealth, reputation, and social standing.
• Denial and entitlement: Duan Mother dismisses Xie Liuzheng’s agency and imagines reconciliation as something she can demand.
• Desperation and consequences: Duan Xing’s fixation on proving his virility leads him to take a dangerous, unverified remedy.

Key plot points and events

• Duan Xing is hospitalized after his parents’ harmful attempt to treat him. Duan Father and Duan Mother insist the medicine was legitimate and refuse to accept that they were scammed.
• After several days caring for Duan Xing, Duan Mother follows his plan to wait for Xie Liuzheng at a jewelry store, intending to confront and punish her. Security guards approach; she flees, is caught, and a fruit knife falls from her pocket. Security calls the police.
• Xie Liuzheng arrives at the store with Zheng Nuan to collect custom jewelry. Zheng Nuan suggests that Liuzheng’s new sister-in-law and niece may be bringing her bad luck.
• Liuzheng immediately recognizes the remark as an attempt to sow discord. She defends her sister-in-law and niece, presses Zheng Nuan to explain herself, and learns that Duan Xing asked Zheng to check on her.
• Zheng Nuan is shocked to discover that Liuzheng and Duan Xing are already divorced.

Character developments

• Xie Liuzheng shows that her usual warmth does not mean gullibility: she is perceptive, firm, and protective of her family when challenged.
• Zheng Nuan misjudges how close she is to Liuzheng and how much she can get away with. Under pressure, she admits Duan Xing’s role in her remarks.
• Duan Mother and Duan Father remain stubbornly convinced their actions were justified, despite Duan Xing’s condition and the involvement of medical staff and police.
• Duan Xing’s divorce from Liuzheng is revealed, marking a significant change in their relationship.

Significant themes

• Family loyalty and boundaries: Liuzheng refuses to let others disparage her sister-in-law and niece.
• Trust and misjudged friendship: Zheng Nuan mistakes Liuzheng’s tolerance for intimacy, while Liuzheng makes clear they were not confidantes.
• Denial and accountability: Duan Xing’s parents refuse to recognize the harm they caused.
• Appearance versus reality: Zheng Nuan presents her insinuations as concern, but Liuzheng sees through them.

Character interactions

• Duan Xing’s parents defend their actions to doctors and police, who regard their claims with disbelief.
• Duan Mother’s attempted ambush ends in her detention after she runs from security.
• At the jewelry store, Liuzheng confronts Zheng Nuan directly, calmly but forcefully, while the sales associate steps away to avoid being caught in their dispute.
• Zheng Nuan’s explanation that Duan Xing prompted her fails to restore Liuzheng’s trust; instead, it leads to the revelation of the divorce.

Key events

• Zheng Nuan asks Xie Liuzheng about her divorce, revealing that Duan Xing has been discussing Xie’s private life with her. She shows Xie their messages, which reveal that Duan Xing used Zheng as an informant to monitor Xie’s activities while pretending to care for her.
• Xie ends the friendship, telling Zheng they should no longer meet. She collects a custom sapphire jewelry set intended for her young niece, then leaves.
• Zheng realizes Xie has genuinely cut ties. Accustomed to Xie paying when they shopped together, she mistakenly expects Xie to cover her bracelet; she has to pay herself and leaves embarrassed and distressed.
• Shen Baili spends Saturday choosing a banquet outfit with her mother and Sunday at a private gym. Her coach assesses her fitness and recommends regular strength training and running.

Character developments and interactions

• Xie Liuzheng moves from anger to controlled resolve: she confronts Zheng, recognizes Duan Xing’s surveillance, and firmly ends the friendship. Her generous gift for her niece also shows her affection for the girl.
• Zheng Nuan admits guilt but had allowed jealousy and her relationship with Duan Xing to lead her to betray Xie’s trust. The loss of Xie’s friendship—and her reliance on Xie’s generosity—finally sinks in.
• Shen Baili is disciplined about developing both her appearance for the banquet and her physical capabilities. Her coach offers a practical assessment and training plan.

Significant themes

• Trust and betrayal: Concern can become a cover for surveillance, and a friend’s betrayal has lasting consequences.
• Privilege and envy: Zheng’s jealousy of Xie’s fortunate life helps drive her hurtful choices.
• Independence and preparedness: Shen treats physical training as essential protection, not merely recreation.

Key plot points and events

• At the coach’s request, Meng Jiu’an helps Shen Baili practice self-defense. Though he is distracted and initially uneasy around her, she executes a clean shoulder throw and improves rapidly during their sparring session.
• After training, Meng asks Shen Baili for her contact information, saying they can exchange training tips. He also asks whether she will attend the Meng family’s birthday party on November 9; she confirms that she will.
• Shen Baili returns home to find Shen Wan rushing out to collect her second brother, Xie Tingsi, from the police station, and insists on coming along.
• On the drive, Shen Baili learns that Xie Tingsi was at the station to assist police after catching a man secretly filming up a girl’s skirt at the airport. Sensational headlines falsely implied that Xie had been arrested or was the offender. His company and the police quickly clarified what happened, and the police praised his intervention.
• Shen Wan and Shen Baili collect Xie Tingsi without trouble, using the company van to draw reporters away from the station entrance. Shen Wan checks that he is unharmed.

Character developments

• Shen Baili shows confidence, quick learning, and practical self-defense skill. She also takes initiative in supporting her family.
• Meng Jiu’an’s composure slips around Shen Baili, but he engages seriously with her and seeks a reason to stay connected.
• Xie Tingsi is revealed to have acted bravely and responsibly, despite the misleading public image created by gossip media.
• Shen Wan’s concern for Xie Tingsi is evident in her immediate response and careful check on his wellbeing.

Character interactions

• The coach introduces Shen Baili and Meng Jiu’an as training partners, mistaking their shared school for a sign that they already know one another well.
• Shen Baili and Meng Jiu’an develop a friendly connection through sparring and exchange contact details; his mention of the birthday party signals his awareness of her connection to the Xie family.
• Shen Baili reassures Shen Wan by explaining the real reason Xie Tingsi went to the police station.
• Shen Wan greets Xie Tingsi with concern, and he is surprised that she came to collect him.

Significant themes

• Misleading media and public image: Sensational headlines distort Xie Tingsi’s good deed, showing how quickly public perception can be manipulated.
• Courage and responsibility: Xie steps in to protect someone, while Shen Baili and Shen Wan support their family.
• Growing confidence and connection: Shen Baili’s self-defense training marks her developing capability, while her encounter with Meng Jiu’an opens the door to a closer relationship.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Wan and Shen Baili pick Xie Tingsi up after his recent confrontation with a criminal. He says he is unharmed and boasts that the man was no match for him.
• On the drive home, Xie notices Baili is tired and has lost weight. He urges her to rest as well as study, then offers to buy her a reward for her good midterm results.
• Their joking turns to gifts: Xie pretends he might give her practice books, then says he was teasing and will choose something nicer. Baili insists she actually likes practice books.
• Back at the Xie Residence, Baili heads to bed for an hour. Xie is also tired and learns she trained at the gym that morning. He offers to train with her during his free days and reminds her to eat well and avoid overwork.

Character development and interactions

• Xie Tingsi is energetic, boastful, and fond of teasing, but his jokes and offers reveal genuine affection and concern for Baili. He is pleased when she praises his bravery and protective when he sees how tired she is.
• Shen Baili is diligent and determined to keep up with studying and martial-arts training. She accepts Xie’s concern without dismissing it, while playfully pushing back against his teasing.
• Shen Wan is relieved to have Xie back safely and warmly observes the growing sibling-like rapport between him and Baili.

Significant themes

• Family affection and belonging: Xie’s excitement at having a younger sister figure shows in his attention and generosity.
• Balancing ambition with self-care: Both Xie and Shen Wan encourage Baili to rest and look after her health, even as she remains committed to studying and training.
• Playful closeness: Their bickering, praise, and teasing build an easy, affectionate family bond.

• Key events: Xie Tingsi jokes with Shen Baili about strength and standing up to bullies, then returns home from a remote filming location. He reunites warmly with his aunt, Xie Liuzheng, and is furious to learn what Duan Xing did to her. After hearing Duan has already suffered consequences and is hospitalized, Tingsi vows to beat him up once he recovers. Later, as the family prepares to attend Old Master Meng’s birthday banquet, Tingsi admires his appearance and teases his brother Xie Zhiyu about his dull clothes and workaholic habits. When Tingsi mentions itchy ears, Zhiyu probes whether he has heard unusual voices, but Tingsi says he has not. At the banquet, the Xie Family’s arrival draws everyone’s attention, and guests already know the latest family news.
• Character developments and interactions: Tingsi’s cocky humor masks his affection and protectiveness toward Liuzheng; he rushed home once he learned of her trouble and is deeply relieved she is safe. Zhiyu is reserved but looks out for his brother, arranging a doctor while managing a demanding new project. The brothers tease each other easily, while Liuzheng responds warmly to Tingsi’s reunion and reassures him about Duan Xing. Shen Baili remains unimpressed by Tingsi’s brief attempt at sounding profound.
• Significant themes: The chapter emphasizes strength as protection against bullying, family loyalty and care, and the contrast between playful banter and serious devotion. It also hints at a mystery surrounding who can hear Suìsuì’s thoughts: Zhiyu wonders whether Tingsi can hear the same voices, but Tingsi reports nothing unusual. The banquet introduces the scrutiny and rapid spread of gossip among wealthy families.

Key plot points and events

• At a major Xie Family gathering, Shen Wan appears beside Chairman Xie Chengyue in elegant clothes and expensive jewelry, reinforcing the impression that he deeply values his new wife.
• Xie Liuzheng and Xie Tingsi arrive together, then the anxious Shen Baili prepares to enter the event with Xie Zhiyu. His reassurance calms her, and he accompanies her into the hall.
• The Xie family presents a united front as they greet prominent guests. Shen Baili stays beside her mother and eldest brother, using her good memory to recognize people from wealthy families.
• Xie Tingsi tries to take Shen Baili to meet his friends, but Xie Liuzheng insists on taking her first. They leave the choice to Shen Baili, who spots her classmate Lu Mingqian and opts to get food with him.
• Xie Tingsi, wary of how wealthy circles may treat her, accompanies her to make sure she is welcomed. Lu Mingqian greets Shen Baili familiarly, and Ji Qi introduces himself. Tingsi’s reaction to their easy rapport is left hanging.

Character developments

• Shen Baili begins nervous about the gathering but gains confidence with Xie Zhiyu’s support. She remains polite and observant, yet increasingly comfortable choosing what she wants.
• Xie Zhiyu shows a calm, protective tenderness toward Baili, reassuring her and staying close.
• Xie Tingsi displays unusual patience during formal introductions and a protective, slightly possessive interest in Baili’s social life.
• Xie Liuzheng is also protective, but makes a point of respecting Baili’s preferences.
• Xie Chengyue appears pleased by his family’s closeness, though he wonders when his children became so protective of Baili.
• Shen Wan is publicly established as an important and accepted presence in the Xie family.

Significant themes

• Family unity and belonging: The Xies’ coordinated appearance and attention make Baili feel cherished and included.
• Protection balanced with independence: The family members look after Baili, while Liuzheng explicitly lets her decide how to spend her time.
• Status and social performance: The guests read meaning into the family’s clothes, jewelry, and behavior, while the Xies navigate elite social expectations.
• Growing confidence: Baili moves from anxiety to taking initiative and reconnecting with classmates.

Character interactions

• Zhiyu comforts Baili before entering and remains her steady companion.
• Chengyue and Wan include Baili in their rounds of greetings, while Zhiyu and Tingsi quickly position themselves near her.
• Tingsi and Liuzheng lightly compete over who gets to escort Baili, then defer to her choice.
• Baili reconnects with Lu Mingqian and meets Ji Qi, while Tingsi stays nearby to ensure she is treated well.

Key plot points

• Xie Tingsi checks that Shen Baili is comfortable with Lu Mingqian and Ji Qi, then leaves her with them. He asks them to look after his sister, showing that the Xie family has accepted her.
• Ji Qi enthusiastically calls Shen Baili “the school beauty” and offers her desserts. At her request, he and Lu Mingqian switch to calling her Baili.
• Lu Mingqian invites Baili to meet their wider circle of friends. Their relaxed conversation is interrupted when Tang Tang brings up gossip that the Xie family ended its engagement with the Sang family because someone had fallen for another person.
• When Tang Tang tries to provoke and embarrass Baili, Baili calmly turns the “joking” back on her, leaving Tang Tang exposed to the group’s laughter.

Character development and interactions

• Shen Baili shows social confidence and tact: she accepts compliments and kindness graciously, offers to return the favor, and stands up for herself without losing her composure.
• Xie Tingsi is protective and affectionate, while treating Baili openly as his sister.
• Lu Mingqian admires Baili not only for her looks but also for her intelligence, wit, and ease with people. He offers to introduce her to his friends and steps in when Tang Tang escalates.
• Ji Qi is warm, direct, and exuberant, quickly becoming friendly with Baili.
• Tang Tang attempts to use gossip to humiliate Baili, but Baili’s sharp response turns the encounter against her.

Significant themes

• Belonging and acceptance: The Xie family’s public affection for Baili signals her place in the family and social circle.
• Self-respect and social poise: Baili refuses to be treated as a target, answering hostility with composure and wit.
• First impressions and admiration: Her new friends discover that her appeal extends beyond her beauty and academic talent.

• Shen Baili stands up to the young heirs and heiresses. After they mock her and press her about why Xie Zhiyu ended his engagement, Baili coolly tells them to ask him directly. Tang Tang’s anger and the group’s nervous excuses expose their earlier bravado as bullying.
• Xie Zhiyu intervenes. The group immediately becomes respectful when he arrives. He firmly directs anyone curious about his private affairs to the press-conference replay—or to ask him personally—then escorts Baili away. He reassures her that she should never tolerate being bullied and can come to him whether or not anything is wrong.
• Baili feels supported and grows more confident. She thanks Xie, promises not to let others bully her, and inwardly praises him as an ideal older brother. Xie is moved by her affection and resolves to live up to the responsibility.
• Sang Ya appears unexpectedly. Though the Sang Family was not invited, Sang Ya attends with her nephew Sang Fang after persuading his mother, Sang Mei, that she only wants to apologize to Xie. Baili suspects Sang Ya is plotting against Xie—possibly attempting another “honey trap”—and Xie shares her alarm.
  Character developments and interactions: Baili proves she can defend herself without losing her composure, while Xie balances a fearsome, authoritative manner toward the bullies with gentleness toward his sister. The young guests quickly change their tune under Xie’s scrutiny, and Sang Fang is reluctantly made responsible for accompanying Sang Ya.
  Themes: The scene contrasts performative social politeness with genuine courage and accountability. It also emphasizes family loyalty and protection, Baili’s growing sense of belonging in the Xie family, and the lingering threat posed by Sang Ya’s schemes.

Plot points

• Sang Ya attends the banquet hoping to see Gu Yeliang, but instead notices her former fiancé, Xie Zhiyu. She smiles and tries to approach him; he gives only a brief nod and turns away.
• Sang Fang stops her, explaining that speaking to Xie publicly could worsen relations between the Sang and Xie families and expose Sang Ya to humiliation. He persuades her to greet other guests first.
• Sang Ya searches the room for Gu Yeliang, while Xie Zhiyu escorts Shen Baili through the crowd. From Baili’s inner thoughts, he learns that Gu may be planning another scheme involving a bribed waiter, and that people in their circle know he was framed but are exploiting the scandal.
• Xie Zhiyu leaves Baili with her mother, Shen Wan, to attend to a business partner.
• Shen Wan checks that Baili is enjoying herself and invites her to bring friends home someday. They share a warm moment before going to find food.
• The chapter ends with Xie Liuzheng chatting with her longtime friends.

Character developments and interactions

• Sang Ya remains focused on Gu Yeliang and seems unaware of how uncomfortable Xie Zhiyu is with her approach. She accepts Sang Fang’s advice, though she is disappointed.
• Sang Fang acts as a practical guide, protecting both Sang Ya’s dignity and the families’ public standing.
• Xie Zhiyu stays distant from Sang Ya but becomes more alert after hearing Baili’s thoughts. He quietly commits to watching for further trouble.
• Shen Baili is cheerful and socially confident, having made new friends. Her thoughts reveal her concern for Xie Zhiyu and her determination to protect him.
• Shen Wan shows warmth and concern for her daughter while respecting her independence; their conversation is affectionate and relaxed.

Significant themes

• Reputation and social maneuvering: Public behavior can affect family alliances, and wealthy circles may exploit scandal for advantage.
• Protection and responsibility: Sang Fang shields Sang Ya from a public misstep, while Baili and Xie Zhiyu remain alert to possible threats.
• Family affection and trust: Shen Wan’s gentle support contrasts with the tense political calculations elsewhere in the banquet hall.

Chapter 32 Summary

Key events

• Xie Liuzheng and her friends avoid discussing divorce in the crowded banquet hall, keeping their anger at Duan Xing private so outsiders cannot gossip about her. She praises Shen Wan and Shen Baili, saying they feel like family, and looks forward to introducing them to her friends.
• Gu Yeliang enters the banquet as an inconspicuous guest but finds neither Xie Zhiyu nor Sang Ya.
• Sang Ya corners Xie Zhiyu to apologize and asks if they can be friends. She also urges him not to distance himself from her grandfather, Elder Sang. Xie Zhiyu makes clear he has already accepted Elder Sang’s apology and sees no reason to resume ties with Sang Ya. He rejects her attempt to make him responsible for her grandfather’s feelings, tells her to learn to think, and leaves.
• Back in the banquet hall, Xie Zhiyu checks that Shen Baili is with Xie Liuzheng and Shen Wan, then greets his friend Lu Mingjing, who arrives after handling family business.

Character developments and interactions

• Xie Liuzheng shows warmth and trust toward Shen Wan and Shen Baili, describing their bond as genuine family. Her friends are curious and supportive.
• Sang Ya sincerely regrets hurting Xie Zhiyu, but still approaches him through her grandfather’s relationship with him. Xie Zhiyu remains firm and emotionally distant, drawing a clear boundary while offering blunt advice.
• Xie Zhiyu and Lu Mingjing share easy, teasing camaraderie. Lu declines Xie’s offer of help, confident he can manage his own business troubles.
• The chapter also introduces the Lu family as one of the three great wealthy families, known for its complicated web of marriages and children.

Significant themes

• Privacy and loyalty: Xie Liuzheng’s friends protect her from public scrutiny.
• Boundaries and accountability: Xie Zhiyu distinguishes accepting an elder’s apology from forgiving Sang Ya or renewing their relationship.
• Chosen family: Xie Liuzheng’s bond with Shen Wan and Shen Baili is presented as deeper than mere politeness.
• Wealth and family complexity: The chapter contrasts intimate personal ties with the tangled structures of powerful families.

Key plot points and events

• Lu Mingjing, a leading candidate to inherit the Lu family business, chats with his close friend Xie Zhiyu at a banquet.
• Lu asks about Xie Zhiyu’s former fiancée, Sang Ya, whom he saw earlier. Xie explains that she came to apologize. Though Lu questions why she is still approaching him after the Sang family has already made amends, Xie declines to dwell on it.
• Meng Xiu joins them to escape the crowded banquet. Their joking turns to the possibility of becoming entertainers, but Xie points out that Meng cannot act, and neither Xie nor Lu is interested in joining his proposed handsome-guy trio.
• Lu mentions dealing with stubborn people at work, prompting Meng to tease him about his temper.
• Meng then reveals that Gu Yue is returning from abroad. Neither Xie nor Lu reacts openly, though Lu asks who told him; Meng says his sister, who went overseas with Gu Yue.

Character developments and interactions

• Lu Mingjing comes across as capable and politically alert: he rose through the Lu company from an entry-level position and quickly considers the family and business implications of Sang Ya’s behavior. His easy teasing with his friends contrasts with the composure he maintains in public.
• Xie Zhiyu remains calm and guarded. He accepts that people see things differently, avoids further entanglement with Sang Ya, and resists being drawn into his friends’ jokes or concerns.
• Meng Xiu brings playful energy, teasing both friends and proposing an entertainment career. His casual announcement about Gu Yue’s return introduces a potentially significant development.
• The three friends’ familiar banter shows their closeness, while their restrained reactions to Gu Yue’s return hint that the news may carry personal history or significance.

Significant themes

• Public composure versus private familiarity: The friends maintain formal manners at the banquet but relax into teasing when together.
• Moving on from past conflict: Xie prefers to leave the broken engagement behind rather than prolong the dispute.
• Power and responsibility: Lu’s standing as an heir comes with ongoing workplace challenges.
• Unspoken history: The muted response to Gu Yue’s return suggests unresolved connections yet to be explored.

Key plot points and events

• Meng Xiu tells Xie Zhiyu and Lu Mingjing that Gu Yue, who once confessed her love to Xie Zhiyu, is returning with Gu Yi after their planned world trip was canceled. Xie dismisses Meng Xiu’s speculation, while Lu asks when Gu Yue will arrive and insists he is only asking about an old friend.
• At Old Master Meng’s birthday banquet, family members present their gifts. Meng Jiu’an gives his grandfather limited-edition sneakers and a jade pendant he made and had blessed. Old Master Meng is delighted, wears both gifts, and shows how much he favors his grandson.
• The guests praise Meng Jiu’an’s thoughtfulness. Lu Mingqian quietly envies the unconditional affection he sees between Meng Jiu’an and his grandfather. Xie Zhiyu advises Meng Xiu to maintain a good relationship with his younger cousin, whom he sees as the Meng family’s likely heir.
• Shen Wan and Shen Baili share a warm, teasing conversation about Meng Jiu’an and the other handsome students. When the birthday cake is served, Meng Jiu’an eagerly greets Baili, introduces himself to her mother as her friend, and asks to borrow Baili for a while.

Character developments and interactions

• Lu Mingjing appears more affected by Gu Yue’s return than he admits, despite claiming he is simply asking about an old friend.
• Xie Zhiyu remains dismissive of rumors and is aware of the Meng family’s succession dynamics.
• Meng Jiu’an shows his affection for his grandfather through personal, carefully chosen gifts, and acts warmly toward Shen Baili and her mother.
• Lu Mingqian reveals a longing for the unconditional family love Meng Jiu’an receives.
• Shen Baili and Shen Wan display an easy, affectionate mother-daughter bond, with playful teasing and mutual compliments.

Significant themes

• Family love and belonging: Old Master Meng’s delight in Meng Jiu’an’s gifts highlights the value of sincere affection over convention.
• Unspoken romantic history: Gu Yue’s return stirs questions about past feelings and whether Lu Mingjing has moved on.
• Status and inheritance: Xie Zhiyu recognizes Meng Jiu’an’s likely future position in the Meng family.
• Warmth and connection: The birthday celebration and Shen Baili’s exchange with her mother emphasize closeness, kindness, and the joy of being welcomed.